The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-07-13
Che Local Company Again Emphasizes It's
Avowed Intention to Supply to the City
with Cheap Fuel as Soon as Possible.
It Is Urged, However, that the Present
Schedule of Rates Is a Little Too Low.
Progress of the Plans for Piping the Fuel
DUlles at Lawrence Strike Gas. and I'M
med;ately Suspend Work Until To-Day.

pose of driving out the Standard Oil Company
and other representatives OF foreign capital
without securing anything of real substance
By many it has been declared that the ordinance
pleased the indianapolis Natural-gas Company
chiefly for the reason that it left them in sole
possession OF field that they did not in
tend to work and with carefully contrived delay
would enable them TO continue the
businesses in which they were engaged undis-
turbed by competitors in the new fuel The
fact that the busy men in the Indianapolis COM.
pany are Allen H. Fletcher who is practically
the Indianapolis Gas-light and Coke Company
with artificial gas and coke to SELL and a number
of coal dealers with their particular kind OF fuel
to dispose of, businesses in which they had
many thousands of dollars invested and which
interests were periled by the introduction of
natural gas was all that to give color to
this supposition.
The introduction of the petition Of $50 citi-
zens in the City Council on Monday night, urg
Ing that the natural gas ordinance be amended
by fixing for its scale of prices rates as near as
may be to the schedule approved at the new
Denison Hotel meeting few weeks ago. shows
that this feeling Of distrust IN the homo COM
-oany Is abroad among the most conservative
business men Of the city. Journal reporter
yesterday afternoon met a number Of the signers
Of that petition and interroga:ed them as to
their reasons for signing it. sM s~
In answer to this question, Gen. Thomas A
Morris said: 81 am opposed on principle to re-
stricting the price of anything sold to our citi-
Gems in Indianapolis would make the appi-
eaton on coal. hay, corn or anything else as
well as against natural gas These articles can
not be sold unless people want them, and the
Err
put them down to a price at which people can
afford to use them. Where streets used to-
the annoyance of the public, it is proper to
charge something for the use of them.
Thecouncil might charge coal carts because
they wear the streets out railroads because they
are dangerous to travel. and IN the way or other
travel, but in every case whore such change is
made the consumer pays it. If had my way
would introduce free ordinance for everybody
TO sell natural gas, COAL hay, etc. +! believe in
the old cry OF free-crade and sailors rights.
am utterly opposed to paternalism, whether
national. state or city"
''Why did sign it 2" said Augustus Kiefer, 81
did 80 because want gas. 1t doesn't look like
the home company intends to give
gas. However, believe the Council should fix
q maximum price for the commodity. but it
doesn't MAKE any difference to me what company
brings it Thus far there has been great
amount Of child's play in this business. In the
names signed to that petition were many very
large consumers of fuel. Among these were
yhingan 81 CO. and the encagstic tile works. two
establishments which come next to the Indian
spolis rollng-mill in pfuel consumption. The
tile works used over SIS. COO In coal ayear. They
want gas and SO do we all
1--WE signed it," said Eastman, Schlecher &
Lee. because we want gas, and want 1t this
winter
Samuel A. Johnston said: st signed it because
want monopoly to come in and do the work.
IL we to have q monopoly let us have the
Standard Oil Company, which has plenty OF
money We want gas. and want it quickly. /
want it before fall, that can fit up my store
TO use it. The cry of foreign monopoly doesn't
brighten me- wouldn't rule anybody ont, but
i would give the Standard OIL Company chance
TO come in. That company would do the city
great good If it located here with some of its
millions"
at Think said VIM. H English, 1--WE ought to
have gas here and speedily. and while / would
impose all reasonable restrictions, / would not
go to the extent OF defeating the great object by
burdensome impositions We want to make the
best bargain we can and get the gas. We want
1t badly. and we want it soon, il il is TO do the
city any good. We want it before manufactur-
ing concerns plant themselves in other places"
Bingham g. Walk: 1--WE signed It because we
want gas here sometime. We would favor the
Standard Oil Company bringing it here, as they
have the money and mean business. 80
Gordon, Kurtz & Co.: 1--WE believe the only
party that now has natural gas near Indian
Oil Company. 1t looks as il the parties
atine-eas men. We favor any enter
Dr;Las .hOas ss coming sor that that will
know the Standard Oil is that kind of COM
pany. While the Standard Oil is hard on
competitors it is never hard on consumers
Everything the Standard handles is as cheap
usually much cheaper-than it can be bought
elsewhere 1t strikes most people down this way
that the home company doesn't honestly mean
business. They don't push things as if they did.
It is getting along toward the time for people to
contract for their coal and coke. Probably the
coal men Interested in the home company want
sell coal for next winter, and Mr.. Fletcher of
the cas- company wants to sell all the coke he
makes
II have made little calculation said math-
ematical expert, gentleman who knows some
thing about great number of things, 'tat
which would like you to look Classes expand
lnversely as to pressure When natural gas is
distributed to our citizens IL it is ever done, it
will be on a pressure OF four ounces TO the
square inch. Say that gas leaves the we'll at q
pressure of 300 pounds to the square
Inch That is 1000 times the pressure
at which it is supplied to the consumer. There
fore il measures j, 200 times AS much when sold
MS when lt first comes up from the ground so
that O well like this out at the Harris farm,
which it is claimed. yields at least one Iaillion
feet day. would, when distributed to consum-
BIS yield 200 times that much. or 1000, 000 600
feet day. If gas swells that way IL would not
take many wells, even little ones, to supply this
sity."
When the FOREGOING statement was laid before
Judge f. B. Martindale he laughed it to scorn
why" said he. that is simply nonsense. A
pressure OF GOO pounds at the well where it
starts for Buffalo could supply the whole city if
Lois calculation WAS right. AS matter or fact
when IL gets there it isn't enough to supply
ward The gas is lost in transit. not by leakage.
but by friction and insteed of being increased
In volume, is diminishsIp
What thu Gas People Say.
George F. Bzanham, of the Indianapolis
Natural-gas Company. plumply asked If
his company really meant business and il there
really was chance that natural gas would be
distributed through the streets of Indianapolis
by the coming winter Mr.. Branham, with
some warmth, replied, 1--WE mean business
and IL this company did mean bust
1 would not be connected with IL
[ have not been connected with anything that
has not been a success, and effort will be
L. ali